BACKGROUND
With increasing research on system integration for image-guided therapy (IGT), there has been a strong demand for standardized communication among devices and software to share data such as target positions, images and device status.
METHOD
We propose a new, open, simple and extensible network communication protocol for IGT, named OpenIGTLink,… (More)

We present three image-guided navigation systems developed for needle-based interventional radiology procedures, using the open source image-guided surgery toolkit (IGSTK). The clinical procedures we address are vertebroplasty, RF ablation of large lung tumors, and lung biopsy. In vertebroplasty, our system replaces the use of fluoroscopy, reducing… (More)

This article presents a novel model of acupuncture physiology based on cellular calcium activation by an acoustic shear wave (ASW) generated by the mechanical movement of the needle. An acupuncture needle was driven by a piezoelectric transducer at 100 Hz or below, and the ASW in human calf was imaged by magnetic resonance elastography. At the cell level,… (More)

This paper presents an overview of the image-guided surgery toolkit (IGSTK). IGSTK is an open source C++ software library that provides the basic components needed to develop image-guided surgery applications. It is intended for fast prototyping and development of image-guided surgery applications. The toolkit was developed through a collaboration between… (More)

The introduction of software technology in a life-dependent environment requires the development team to execute a process that ensures a high level of software reliability and correctness. Despite their popularity, agile methods are generally assumed to be inappropriate as a process family in these environments due to their lack of emphasis on… (More)

OBJECTIVE: Many image-guided surgery applications require tracking devices as part of their core functionality. The Image-Guided Surgery Toolkit (IGSTK) was designed and developed to interface tracking devices with software applications incorporating medical images. METHODS: IGSTK was designed as an open source C++ library that provides the basic components… (More)